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Summary: An awe-inspiring chronicle of man's inhumanity to nature.
Review: There are currently no words in the english language that express the JUGGERNAUT of heavenly superiority of this book. That may not make sense, but it's because I can't quite find the appropriate words... man, just dig this novel. It'll make the sun shine brighter, the rains fall lighter, and your mind and body just heighten and expand a little bit more... with gorilla gone, will there be any hope for man?
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Summary: This book doesn't offer answers the way most people expect
Review: After reading Ishmael and then reading the reviews on this web site, the issue I feel I can help clarify a little better is this:This book does not give answers, THIS BOOK GIVES US THE ABILITY TO FIND ANSWERS. Like teaching a man to fish so he can feed his entire village etc. Don't read this book if you are competely happy with the way you live AND you don't care at all if other people around you have questions about what our culture is doing to other cultures and to nature. Read this book as a continent sized 'stepping stone' to help you START walking across the 'ocean of ignorance' threatening to drown our culture. It is today
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Summary: An incredible realization of Man Vs. the rest of the kingdom
Review: What I can say about this book is that as I read the story, I recognized the horrible race we know as Man. I was angry and I took up the side of the rest of the kingdom, ashamed to be human.
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Summary: fast fact
Review: Every member from Pearl Jam strongly reccomends this book.
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Summary: I hated the book.
Review: I read the book. I hated the book. I read the book because I had to read the book. I was seriously considering throwing the book across the room like the narrator was doing to the newspaper on the first page. My teacher told me to read this book for school so I had no choice. If you want to help save the world, stop wasting trees by buying these dumb books!! quinn goes on and on and on and on and on and on about how humans are bad and we should stop. A good book?! Except for rare occasions and the beginning of each section (sometimes not even then), your lucky if you know who's saying what!! The narrator always answers with "Yes, that's so" and "True" and "Yes" and "Of Course". Please!! I had to read one page, stop and take a break, and then read the next. It was so frusturating. Quinn uses paper from the trees he's trying to save and fills it with important-looking, yet empty repetetive stupidity. On a brief review on the cover, Jim Briwell says: 'From now on I will divide books into two categories-the ones I read before ISHMAEL and the ones after'. That proves he has not really read the better of the novels. I am telling you, if you really want to have an even 25% chance of surviving it, DON'T READ IT UNLESS IT IS COMPLETELY MANDATORY!! Save yourself! I wish I could have.
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Summary: One of the best books I have ever read-MUST READ.
Review: The back to basics idealism that was my ideal and goal now pales in comparison after having read ISHMAEL. As others have said, you want to run out and DO something when you realize that Ishmel's message is, that man will become extinct unless!! Daniel Quinn lets the reader choose for his/her own the plan of action to take rather than having Ishmael spell it out. The message and HOW IT CAME TO BE THAT WAY was put forth in a most interesting way. At first thought this was going to be an agnostic view point and would try to sway the reader away from belief in a higher being. In no way does Mr Quinn try to lead the reader into any direction other than the one comprising his thesis of the book; which is MAN IS HEADED FOR EXTINCTION. A MUST READ!!!
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Summary: You need to read this book- mans last hope.
Review: After reading ishmael, I went on to reading "The Story of B" also by Quinn. I began to realize that this is not an ordinary book that you read and then tell a friend about, and countinue on living the way you were. There is a message i can't deny, and i will never be the same, never go back to thinkning the way i used to. And i have decided to do my part in passing on the message through my music.
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Summary: Ishmael is the most important book I have ever read.
Review: For years I have been active in feminism, animal rights, environmentalism, and many other social justice issues. I understand just how messed up this world is and want to change it as much as possible, but with a lack of insight into the roots of 'the big problem', I felt like my efforts were perhaps misguided. Ishmael not only helped me to understand the source of 'the big problem', but what I can do about it.
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Summary: Read this book! Right now!
Review: The book begins when the narrater find an ad in the Personals reading: "TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person." The narrater responds to the add, thinking to discredit a charlatan, and finds instead an unlikely (or perhaps not-so-unlikely) teacher who proceeds to teach him HOW THINGS CAME TO BE THIS WAY. While the book follows the conversations of two fictional characters, these conversations could be transposed onto any two people on the planet and be no less truthful. Toxic pollution, global warming, species extinction--Daniel Quinn, through the teacher Ishmael, explains why our culture (and our culture only, not all of humanity) has played a role in creating the present environmental crisis. The explanation hides so well in plain sight (it's all around us, but it's hard to recognize) that when it's finally revealed, we at once say, "Well, of course!" and then leap to our feet while striking our brows and crying, "My God! This is incredible!" The group of people who read this book should be composed not only of environmental engineers or naturalists or ecologists, but also of truck drivers, potters, bricklayers, computer programmers, English teachers...For the message of Ishmael must be heard by all if there is to hope for the life that presently exists on this Earth.
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Summary: This book should be mandatory reading in high school english
Review: I think this book should be read in high school english class. After a few classes graduate with the Ishmeal's viewpoint in the back of theirs heads, I think the world will begin to be a lot better of a place.
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